Aelius Aristides 13, Panathenaicus

ToposText · Aelius Aristides · 107 sections

urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:191
§ 191 The Argives were engaged in civil dissensions, and she stopped them. The Cretans were waging war on one another, and she effected a conciliation. [256] Moreover, piety, forbearance, self-respect! Who could cite a finer example of these qualities than this? When the Corinthians had voted not to receive at their festal assembly the festal delegation from here but had even through an embassy forbidden the city to send one, the Athenians equipped both their delegates and their hoplites and dispatched them together; but when the latter reached Eleusis, the Corinthians arrived with a peace offer, and the Athenians, sending their delegation on, led the hoplites back. [257] Ah yes, Eleusis. Of the mysteries, some have been revered as ancient, others as indispensable, still others as familiar to very many. By any test, however, the Eleusinian Mysteries come out first. In fact, concerning the others it is not our duty to speak, but you alone of the Hellenes every year put on a festival inferior to no quadrennial festival and receive in the Eleusinion more than others receive in their whole city. Indeed all on each occasion contend with the past to make the current festival the greatest on record in multitude of human beings. [258] Ah yes, human beings! But Heracles and the Dioscuri! All presumably hold that these at least are gods. Well it was while they were consorting with men that the city revealed the sacred rites to these, first of strangers. Hence she is clearly the one who sanctified these heroes to whom we now offer sacred rites. [259] Again, in respect to contests! This one city even today celebrates more games than all the rest. One might almost say that all festivals are either among you alone or from you. In fact at least one of three things has occurred: in some cases the festival began with you; in others it is best performed among you; here in still others it has the most events. [260] Moreover, there are some poor souls who, not having any immediately usable asset of their own to show or any field of accomplishment to mention or anything in which to take a legitimate pride, go back to Homeric times and dispute about some hero's distinction without adducing, even so, any common deed of their own but associating themselves with one man's fame. The Phthiotes and Pylians and Ithacans, for instance, like some who, poor in land of their own, deem themselves among the rich because of one man. But this city,
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:192
§ 192 while she does not need to go back for that reason to Homeric times, is not deprived even of that satisfaction. On the contrary, the common poet of the Hellenes says in the catalogue of ships and cities that the commander of the Athenians reached the highest perfection in the “marshalling of chariots and of shield-bearing men.” And what gives greater value to the compliment and makes it so neat is this: the others whom he praises as best in respect to their physical condition or even in some other respect, if it so happens, he praises as best of the Achaeans or as best of such and such. In one case, at any rate, he says best “of men and steeds who followed the sons of Atreus,” and on another occasion he says that “of those who were then at Ilion” he was supreme in archery. And his Nestor refers to some of the brilliant figures of his own time, “For I once consorted with even better men than you,” and straightway counts many such, here again with a qualification that they were similar to each other and that no one of them was visibly superior. But in making mention of Menestheus, the poet has used no such qualifications, but concisely, without these remarks, he says at once, “His peer has not yet arisen on the earth.” Among the things that occurred a little earlier than these he narrates concerning Erechtheus that the goddess nurtured him, the Earth herself bore him. Therefore, it is perhaps not at all unnatural that in proclaiming those whom he has selected as definitely best in each respect, he makes a difference when he praises one of those born in this country. He proclaims the others with a qualification either of time or of race, but when he praises as best one of those born in this country, he praises him once and for all as best of all those born anywhere on the earth. Finally, when he makes two of the Achaeans best in respect to the deeds of war, Salamis of course supplies one of the ethnics by which he identifies them. [261] Of course one impressive thing that they say about the constitution of the Lacedaemonians is that the god originally ordained their laws for them. But this same god obviously made for our city its divisions into tribes and clans, when he appointed for each the proper sacrifices to offer, exactly as he determined for them, kings and archons and practically the whole constitution. Hence the god would be lawgiver of this city no less than of theirs.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:193
§ 193 [262] I wish in a few words to remind you of her constitution, as far as I am able. For in fact all praise it, yet almost no one has searchingly detected all that lies in it. I call it both simple and not simple. For to make a distinction as far back as possible, there are three constitutions and whichever one a man prefers he assigns to this city. Kingships she has obviously been using right from the beginning, a goodly number of generations, kingships not only of the Erechtheidae, but even of those who later were deemed worthy. Again democracy! Every child knows the democracy which has arisen among you: it is democracy in its purest form and of all the most important. And finally, everyone who has looked into the Council of the Areopagus would say, I think, that it is not possible to find a nobler ideal of aristocracy or one which better preserves the name. [263] Thus all types of constitution have taken their start from here. For as if the city were drafting formulas to serve mankind, for each group to choose what suited its own inclinations and customs, so she discovered all types and presented them in public, aiding mankind everywhere, which is the same intention she had had, according to our interpretation, with regard to the crops and in many other different activities. [264] There is a fact even more important and more conclusive. It will appear that the kings themselves were to a higher degree than all the others pleased with her equality of rights and privileges and especially, I believe, became in their sentiments of one mind with the Many, and that the People, wherever they find, in case they do, someone superior to the Many, voluntarily make him their chief and use him as a perpetual ruler but keep the same reward also for the Few, in case they perceive that a few are better than the others but rivals among themselves. Likewise it will appear that the Council is ever looking for ways to strengthen the People, having never made a separate reckoning of its own interest but judging that it was a noble advantage and one consistent with its dignity to preside over the Many salutarily with good repute. [265] Hence no wonder the city can be famous beyond all the others not only in respect to each form of constitution but even in respect to the mixture of constitutions.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:194
§ 194 For just as, on the one hand, this whole universe, I think, came together from four elements as the ancient tale says, but, on the other hand, each of these itself partakes, by its natural development, also of the rest, while separately each kind of element has received its name by its excess, so also in respect to the constitutions, even if they happen to be as distinct as possible, it is right for them in some way or other to partake of each other, if we really are going to behold a kingship that is upright and just or a government of the Few, likewise of the Many, that is upright and just. [266] One would understand if he were to study the kingships which have arisen in this city against those which have arisen anywhere else either in Hellas or on barbarian soil, again the democracy which has arisen at Athens against the democracies of the others, and finally the Council of the Areopagus against the sovereign and guiding bodies any where else. For if we ought to leave the others aside and speak of democracy alone, all who have shared in this form will appear in their designs and appetites to have been much more reckless and outrageous but in the dignity and splendor of their achievement not to have come anywhere near the men from this city. [267] Again there is the following which this city was the first to teach: not to give one's vote to wealth nor to be impressed by it either. She never exalted those who were superior merely because of their estates but she deemed that only protection from injury on that account was due them from her; nor did she ever in any way assign less to those who were superior in virtue while inferior in wealth; she, who knew that of household slaves one considers as best not the richest but the most loyal, considered it, I presume, disgraceful that the worth of those who claim to be free should be defined in terms of wealth instead of each man being considered such as he personally is. And in consequence she alone of cities did not transpose the rule and make the third by natural right the first by law, nor has she ever been seen behaving like some of those who claim to be philosophers, whom one can see speaking in this way about these matters but in action ever bowing and yielding to whoever they feel are economically stronger. But she is seen conducting to high office
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:195
§ 195 and trusting and deeming worthy of all honor, not those from the highest census classes but those who are most suitable in respect to their characters, in the opinion that he who would win in respect to virtue wins in the overall reckoning. She showed these qualities not least at the time she reached her greatest strength. [268] For while among the famous men at Athens in those days some were rich beyond the first houses of Hellas, but others as poor as could be, she chose for the presidency of Hellenic interests one of the latter. And in consequence he achieved glory by his assessments, the city by her decisions. [269] While there are many things that one could say about the constitution, many remarks actually have been anticipated and time is being subtracted, and it is not absolutely necessary to mention them. But one point I shall add and then finish the discussion of this topic too. [270] The best group and the group in power have coincided here, and while the posts of honor are allowed only to the most suitable, to live their lives is in the highest degree the common right of all. This is surely a mark, is it not, of a truly free city and constitution? Though it is possible to live here as one wishes, honor and power are not for those who want them but for those who have been tested. And in consequence both in the struggles of war and in the discharge of duties they acted reasonably throughout; they would not go about their public tasks with an interest that was halfhearted or even less, but all in the same way vied with each other in zeal to the best of their ability. Common the fatherland for which they fought and toiled, and in common the battles, and no arrangement for one group merely to run the risks and for the other group to be masters in case of conquest. From these roots accordingly flowered concord and mutual trust throughout the city. If a disagreement anywhere were actually to arise, without much difficulty they would come to a mutual understanding, and for courage, if anywhere it might be needed, there was nothing to compare with them. To me it seems that not even five-game champions who win all the events prevail to such a degree in the overall test. [271] On what occasions would any speaker not be better off in remembering the city? On military expeditions?
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:196
§ 196 And where would he get nobler examples? Or by using which stories of courage would he produce a better exhortation? Well, at the festal assemblies? But she herself is leader in these. Well, at the political assemblies and in the management of city affairs? And what people in its history combines more keenness and gentleness or what popular leaders in history are more worthy of admiration? Well, in the training in Discourse and other knowledge? No, even now it is here that they all congregate, and by the good fortune of the city the generations of the lovers of knowledge have not died without it being constantly necessary for those anywhere on earth who mention the forms of Discourse to mention the Athenians at the same time, and they would never cast the image from their souls, where they see the forms as in a mirror. [272] And in consequence for all mankind the name and the soil of this city is greatly revered, because all think that nothing else is one and the same. In fact, both commoners and kings have honored her, in neither case with some small tokens but in such a way that they themselves rejoiced in the unprecedented character of the honors they were showing. [273] Unmistakable also is the good will shown by the gods themselves and the supporting vote even through the common mantis and exegete who is ancestral to the city, as they invite her to offer in behalf of the Hellenes the sacrifices before the time of tillage and as they name her mother-city of the crops, nay more, deem her worthy to wear a crown, her crown of victory, throughout her life. “An eagle among the clouds” the gods call her in comparison with other cities. [274] To this alone among cities, as it seems, two incongruous things have happened. Both very many and very fine are the tributes spoken by men concerning this city, and yet no city has received less. For she has been admired above all others, yet has heard no song of praise worthy of her. Yes, formerly I used to rejoice to hear the city called “the hall of wisdom,” and “the hearth of Hellas,” and “the pillar of Hellas ” and by all such lyrical terms. Now, on the other hand, it seems to me that all these expressions fall too short, but if ever a city were to be addressed as “legate of gods” or as “kin” thereof or as “image of the virtue and standard of the power in human nature,” this city, I think, would have deserved the acclamation.
urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0284.tlg013:197
§ 197 [275] Because of these things, oh men of Hellas, it is reasonable not to feel either envy or shame in yielding to the city, but actually to take pride in magnifying her with all one's power. For when the Athenians are victorious, the victory lies with you. It is impossible for all to be best among all. But as when a chief magistrate is eminent, the city shares in his fame, so when the leading city is being honored with the honors that are her due, all share in the pride. I believe it causes the Athenians themselves no shame either, if anyone worships their Acropolis. Therefore, you too must think the city a kind of acropolis or crown of Hellas and of your race, honoring her by act and by word and sharing in her glory, but you must not think that you yourselves are being deprived. [276] It is finished; we too have wrought a work of art, the reasoned discourse of our logos instead of the peplos, an adornment for the spectacle of the Panathenaea. To give it a grace is for her, the very goddess of both the Logos which is Reason and the city.

Via ToposText (topostext.org), a project of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation created by Brady Kiesling. Translated by James Henry Oliver (1905-1981). Composed ca. 160 CE. Licence: copyright not stated. Source.